Dec 9, 2013

Baby Spinach Quinoa Salad with Dates & Sumac

I have yet to come across a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi that is not deliciously dreamy- the guy hits my tastebuds each and every time! The other day I was looking through one of his fabulous cookbooks, Jerusalem, hunting down the vegan friendly recipes... when one in particular caught my attention. It's Ottolenghi's Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds. What intrigued me was the trio he used of dates, red onions and sumac with all the leafy green goodness. It just resonated so strongly with me, surely because of these Middle Eastern/Mediterranean ingredients that I grew up on- I just never had dates, onions and sumac all together at once. I was inspired by what seemed to be a killer ingredient combination but improvised the rest, with quite a few tweaks.

Olive oil, red onions, dates and sumac... all get seared- but still keep their crunch

To then add some red quinoa (cooked separately). I've never been crazy about quinoa, but in this recipe it picks up a lot of great flavour.

Mix everything in a bowl, with the baby spinach leaves. You want something of a warm salad...

To enjoy it just like this... With pomegranates in season right now I usually have some lying around- sprinkle a few for a decorative, colourful touch.

Recipe for Baby Spinach Quinoa Salad with Dates & Sumac

5-6oz (140-150gr) Baby Spinach leaves

1-2 cups cooked quinoa*

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Dates, pitted and cut lengthwise*

1-2 teaspoons Sumac

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly squeezed lemon

In a large pan, heat olive oil. Toss in the chopped onion, dates, sumac. Stir for a few minutes until slightly softened, but you don't want to completely lose the onion's crunch.

Then add the quinoa, season with salt, mix everything together for a few minutes.

In a seperate large bowl, place the baby spinach and add the quinoa mixture. Add a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, enjoy warm!

*Notes:

Adjust the quinoa/spinach proportions as you please for a final result that is vegetable or grain rich.

No comments:

ABOUT THIS BLOG

I started Swirl & Scramble because ever since I was a child I enjoyed transforming my kitchen dreams into a reality. Whether it be spontaneous culinary improvisation or well kept family secrets, from savoury to sweet, I needed a place to capture and share these moments. I'm a a curious self-taught cook but have had some basic knowledge at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and an incredible training experience in the kitchens of the lavish Hotel de Crillon in Paris, France.

I've lived in Greece, Switzerland, France and am now in the NYC area which is a real treat for a culinary lover like myself. In the meantime, I try to travel as much as I can. Most of my travel photography is on my Flickr stream.

You may notice that many of my recipes are of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern influence...the fact is that these origins run in the family and I pretty much grew up on olive oil, onions and garlic!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the recipes!

Photography is done by myself, MariannaF, unless otherwise stated.

If you are interested in using any of my recipes or photos, please ask- just leave a comment and I will e-mail you right back.

Thank you!

FOLLOW SWIRL & SCRAMBLE BY E-MAIL

FIND ME ON SAVEUR

FIND ME ON THE HUFFINGTON POST

FIND ME ON SERIOUS EATS

FIND ME ON BBC GOOD FOOD

FIND ME IN THIS COOK BOOK!

Foodies of the World is a collection of profiles and recipes from the best blogs around the world